"Come with me..." Trishul said, pulling him close, "We'll go to the Himalayas... trek, see all the places you wanted to visit... and you can see the house I grew up in. In fact we can stay there, make Dehradun our base..."

"Wherever you want to take me..." Anit whispered looking up at him, suddenly giving an impish smile as he added, "Sot on ganeoc'h..."

"And what does that mean?!" laughed Trishul, cupping his face.

"I'm mad about you!" Anit giggled, "Me a'z kar... me ho kar!"

Trishul raised his eyebrows, "French I know, German I can manage... but..."

Anit laughed, "Breton, and it means: I love you... I love you!"

"I too am mad about you... and I love you!" Trishul whispered, lowering his face and kissing him... a light peck on those moist, pouty lips... groaning as a jolt shot through him.

And as Anit kissed back, time stopped... the world vanishing in an eddy of meaningless swirl...

Oh, it felt so incredibly fantastic... so unbelievably fabulous... to be holding him again... his slender form crushed in his furious embrace... feeling that uncontrollable tremor coursing through the slim frame...

Trishul gasped, his ragged breath like the dying sigh of an expended squall. Both equally desperate, and famished... keen on making up for the lost week as they gnawed away... each sensing the other's unmistakable passion, so distinctly obvious against one another's arousal.

Grinding their hips, they groaned, chewing on those moist lips... so pliant as they quivered in response...

Both young men moaning nasally as their hands roved... seeking out and caressing every inch of anatomy that they had come to know so intimately... and had then so suddenly lost!

Every sense of time and space had ceased... the world an unreal memory from the distant past... far away. Only the moment was real for them... and the existence of each other's reassuring arms wrapped tightly around. But despite the bedazzling stupor, they slowly became aware of the soft knock floating in through the deafening haze... persistent... like an accompaniment to the samba of their heartbeat.

Flushed and breathless, Trishul finally pulled back and listened, suddenly returning to the present as he realised what it was and called out, "Come in..."

Marius entered quickly and closed the door behind him.

"Sorry to break up the reunion, but it's been almost an hour and you two need to get going," he said with an apologetic smile, ushering them out of the room and leading the way towards the rear of the cellar. "This will take you to the backyard," he said, opening a low door to a stairwell, "and the car's ready and waiting to take you to Zurich, now hurry..."

"Marius, what about you," Trishul asked, worried, "I mean, once Gilberto finds out that you helped Anit escape, and reports to Ranjeet..."

"Ah," Marius broke in with a wave of his hand, "the most he can do is never buy his wine from me again, and that would hardly change anything for me!"

"Thank you, Marius..." Trishul began, but once more Marius held up his hand.

"Anything for dear Anit... and now, you two stop being formal and get going..."

Everything had been planned, everything in place - Kurt and Lorenz were waiting with the car, and they were to go to Zurich... where Trishanu would join them later that same day... and then the three would fly back to India...

But Anit's missing papers and passport now created a whole new situation - Anit simply couldn't travel!

After a quick consultation as they drove out of Interlaken, Lorenz suggested that they go to Bern instead... visit the French Embassy... and Anit could report his passport as 'lost', applying for a fresh one. They could then go to Zurich and wait there till Anit got his papers, before returning to India.

Trishul meanwhile could call Nirupam and ask him to find out the rules about getting a visa on arrival; inform him that Anit already had one, but had lost the passport.

Though not exactly comfortable with the idea, they agreed, since desperate situations called for desperate measures... and that decided, they headed for Bern, earnestly hoping that the Embassy would issue, if not a regular passport, then at least a passeport temporaire... and not hand Anit a laissez-passer and ask him to return to Cancale...

That would be a disaster!

"Here," Trishul said offering his mobile to Anit as they sped away, "call your mother, she must be worried, and also, ask her for those documents..."

"Thanks," Anit nodded taking the instrument. Yes, he needed to call her and give her the details, tell her everything, and ask her to meet them in Zurich... with his carte nationale d'identité and his justificatif de domicile - his ID card and the proof of residence - for the embassy officials would surely want copies of those documents before they issued his travel papers.

"NO!" Rachna exclaimed in shock and anger, "You won't go to the embassy and report your passport missing. You go straight to Zurich and wait for me, I'll meet you there. You'll have your papers and passport back by tomorrow morning!"

___________________________________________

Rachna arrived later that evening - almost at the same moment that Trishanu reached the Zurich hotel. She spoke to them, thanking them... and then asked to be left alone with her son...

Amit arrived the next morning, Saturday... and went straight to his mother's room, handing over the passport, papers and the credit card to her... refusing to look at, or even acknowledge Anit's presence in the room. Informing her that since he had work, he'd be unable to stay back... would leave for Dubai immediately.

Out in the passageway, Trishul had just left Trishanu's room and walking back to his own, when they crossed path - Amit and Trishul.

Amit paused, looking at him, "Haven't we met before?" he asked.

"Yes, in Mumbai, last Sunday," Trishul replied in a flat voice.

"So, it's you, huh?" Amit asked, the tone derisive.

"I don't know what you mean by that," Trishul replied, giving him a cheery smile, "but yes, I'm the same person who once had been foolish enough to make the stupidest mistake of confusing vinegar for premium wine... for a brief, fleeting moment though!"

Amit hesitated for a fraction of stunned second, his eyes blazing with animosity... and then he stalked off in silence.

___________________________________________

"Okay, guys," Trishanu grinned at the small company gathered outside the Zurich airport, "you say your good-byes while I go ahead and check-in our baggage." And then turning to Anit added, "Come along and help me, let the old friends alone for a moment!"

"Thank you..." Trishul said in a choked voice as he embraced Kurt, "thank you very much!"

"Oh, he's a real scheming little vaunter, a lovable one though," winked Lorenz, "and I'm sure he enjoyed every moment of it, probably wanting to thank you for giving him the opportunity!"

"Well, whatever," laughed Trishul, "but you two are coming, visiting me, um, us... And no excuses this time!" he added turning to look at Kurt.

"We will," smiled Lorenz, taking Kurt's hand.

They embraced once more, and as Trishul turned to go, Kurt cleared his voice, "Um, Trishul..."

Trishul paused, looking back at him, questioning.

"Well, ah," Kurt gave a sheepish smile, "I have a confession to make..." and then quickly added, "Trishanu had called, Wednesday morning, it must have been noon your time, said you were coming... would probably visit Interlaken... that there might be something, um, unlikely to happen. He wanted to know if I could accompany you... without you, of course, guessing," he shrugged. "And so, we came..."

"We reached Zurich in the evening," smiled Lorenz, "and were outside the arrival lounge when you walked out. We followed you down to the Flughafen, and boarded the same train..."

"And that's how you 'discovered' me at the Bern station, huh?"

They both nodded.

"Well, I really don't know what to say, how to ever thank you..." Trishul began, overcome with emotion... suddenly at a loss for words.